Semi mimetic control in digital games and its impact on immersion

Abstract

One of the biggest factors that distinguishes video games from any other form of media is the ability for the player to have control. Control in video games can mean the ability for the player to use a character/s or object/s to traverse the environment, conscious use of abilities and the managing of resources. In order for the player to have control over the game, they must use the hardware as an interface to interact with the software and with different iterations of hardware across all of the generations of games console, there have been different types of controls that have been developed. Over time, to facilitate the player’s experience and make it more enjoyable, a standard in control schemes has been created which in turn also standardized. However, there have been developers that tried to develop games using alternative types of control that provide players with more agency of the character by being able to control all of their individual limbs. While research has been made on these different types of control techniques with the goal to create a middle ground, the results showed promise with signs of improvement. Therefore, this thesis aims to forward this analysis by creating a new type of middle ground that aims to provide player expressiveness while still keeping the control scheme relatively simple. In turn by analysing literature with regards to player involvement and immersion, we can understand how this type of control system can have an impact on the player’s experience. This inquiry can thus help to provide a definition on this medium type of control coupled with example of games currently available on the market that when analysed can show the benefits of this type of control system of the standard that is still being used by the most popular game franchises to date.